CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
This was the first time Alpha Thorne truly allowed himself to study her—those deep brown eyes that seemed to hold storms and tenderness all at once. Luna Celeste’s beauty was arresting in a way that stole his breath, leaving him unwilling to look away.

In that fleeting moment, he tasted a sense of freedom he had been denied for years: the freedom to gaze upon the one he loved and let his unspoken feelings rise without restraint.

But Celeste averted her eyes, shifting in discomfort as she realized she was still in her pajama pants, the fabric clinging lightly to her legs beneath the mountain breeze.

“Why should I tell you anything?” Thorne asked teasingly, his tone carrying the amusement of someone enjoying the game. He savored the storm of emotions reflected in her gaze—the strongest being her determination to strike him down. Yet there was something else too, something softer she was desperately holding back.

“Because I can kill you if you refuse,” Celeste countered sharply, her grip firm as she held him in place. “What is it that you want?”

Thorne could have easily broken free, his strength far outmatching hers, but he found himself reluctant. The closeness, the contact, was intoxicating. He wanted to remain there—locked in this fragile battle—forever.

“Release me,” he said, his voice still light with amusement. Instead of loosening her hold, Celeste’s fingers pressed tighter around his throat. “Not until you tell me who you are.”

A chuckle rumbled from his chest before, in one fluid motion, he flipped her over, pinning her back against the dry grass of Nightbloom Glade. His eyes—gray and sharp behind his disguise—met her innocent brown ones, and he murmured with deliberate provocation, “Luna Celeste. We expected Alpha Alaric would have thrown you into the dungeon, yet here you are.”

Her response was not words but action—her knee drove sharply into his groin. Thorne hadn’t expected the sudden strike. Pain lanced through him, forcing his muscles to clench as he gritted his teeth and endured. Slowly, he forced himself to breathe, letting the ache ebb.

“Tell me who you are, or I’ll kill you where you stand,” Celeste demanded through clenched teeth, her body coiled like a spring ready to pounce. She was cautious—fearful he might shift—but she meant to use his human form to her advantage before that could happen.

“I am a pack member,” he replied evenly.

She faltered, taking a step back. His words rattled her because they carried a measure of truth. Alpha Thorne would be furious if she harmed one of his own warriors. Yet since she had been kept in the secluded cottage, the only faces she had ever seen were Thorne himself, Dr. Halden, and Seraphine.

“What do you want here?” Celeste pressed, her voice low and edged.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Thorne said, softening his tone and maintaining the warmth in his disguised voice. “So I went running along Nightbloom Trail. Curiosity led me here, and I was startled to see your head appear from the window. It was… captivating.”

He was surprised at his own words—flirtation came easily when cloaked in this false identity. It was his first attempt at wooing her, and he found himself strangely skilled at it.

Celeste narrowed her eyes, suspicion dancing across her features, but she pushed his comment aside. “If you’re truly a pack member, I’ll spare you. But Alpha Thorne doesn’t want anyone to know I’m here. Leave, and do not return.”

Her words pierced him deeper than she knew. She understood him—understood his need for secrecy—even though they rarely spoke. A faint smile curved his lips in the shadows.

“You’re a woman,” he pressed softly. “Alpha Thorne is cruel to keep you here all alone.”

Celeste’s brow furrowed as she thought on it. Thorne might be merciless in many things, but to her, he wasn’t heartless. Harsh, yes—sharp with words, cruel with his temper—but never had he inflicted the sort of torment she would call heartless. If anything, he had saved her when he didn’t have to.

“He’s kinder than you think. He saved my life,” she said plainly.

“He despises you,” Thorne prodded, watching carefully for her reaction.

“I don’t care.”

Her indifference shook him.

“Do you still love him, even after he cast you aside?” The question slipped out, heavy with the weight of his own need. He longed for her answer more than anything else.

“That’s none of your concern. Leave—and don’t come back.” Her voice grew icy, her patience waning.

Not content with her dismissal, Thorne leaned forward, feigning a threat. “I’ll leave. But I could tell the pack where you are. Do you know how many Shadow Elite would rush here just to see you?”

Celeste blanched, fear flashing across her face. She believed him.

Regret immediately clawed at him for forcing her through that panic. Under the silver wash of moonlight, she was breathtaking. Thorne had seen countless beautiful women in Duskwatch City and beyond, but none of them compared. Not even Seraphine had ever rivaled this fragile, raw beauty before him.

He thought bitterly of the enemies who had driven them apart. Without them, Celeste would already have been his mate, perhaps even carrying his child. Rage churned hot in his chest, feeding the fire of his resolve to hunt them down.

“Then perhaps you’ll pay me to keep your secret,” he said, voice sly.

Celeste let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “I have nothing to give you.”

His gaze roved over her. Even in simple sleepwear, she was radiant. The clothes—ones he had secretly purchased for her—only made his chest swell with pride. “That’s not how I see it,” he murmured.

Her eyes narrowed, suspicion sharpening. “What are you talking about?”

“You have something more valuable than gold or trinkets,” Thorne said plainly, his mask of disguise still holding. “You have your heart. That’s what I want.”

Celeste froze, her body rigid. Then her eyes hardened, brown irises dark as the Frostfang River at midnight. “You’re insane. I’m nothing but a slave.” Her voice cracked as old words resurfaced in her mind—Thorne’s own warning, spoken long ago: I will kill whoever tries to tear you away from me. He hadn’t spoken it idly; she had always known he meant every syllable.

Her pulse raced. She could not risk this “pack member” discovering the truth. If Thorne learned that someone had stumbled upon her cottage and dared speak with her, he would spill blood without hesitation. Whether Shadow Elite or Omega, it would make no difference.

Straightening, Celeste’s voice grew colder.

“Leave now, or I’ll make sure you regret ever coming here.”